TODAY’s Craig Melvin has spilled a dirty little secret about Al Roker’s morning routine in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
Craig, 43, opened up about his very first day at Today and how he witnessed some bizarre behavior from the beloved weatherman.
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Craig Melvin opened up about his first day at Today and Al Roker’s bizarre morning routineCredit: NBC
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Craig spoke about Al during the weatherman’s induction into the Hall of FameCredit: Getty
“Our dressing rooms are 12 feet apart,” Craig explained.
“And every morning around 6.30am Al comes into his dressing room… and he blasts the A-Team theme song, every morning!”
Craig, who honored Al, 68, during the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame continued: “Dirty little secret about morning TV, very few morning TV people are morning people.
“And Al comes in and it’s just ‘Ahhh gosh blah blah!’ And so when the A-Team theme song comes on, I know it’s time to start the day.”
Craig said Al’s boisterous routine wasn’t explained to him before he started at Today on his important first day on the job.
“Here I am on my first day preparing for a 3-hour broadcast on morning TV and I’m like ‘What is that? What is Roker doing?’ I thought the guy was sick- like before he was sick,” Craig joked.
The news anchor also said Al takes to his treadmill in his office and multitasks his mornings, taking calls and responding to emails while getting his steps in.
HONORING A LEGEND
While Craig co-hosted the Hall of Fame event, fellow inductee Hoda Kotb was also on hand to help usher Al into the exclusive club.
Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer also attended to honor the weatherman.
During the event, Craig and Al’s fun rapport was on full display.
Meanwhile, Al’s wife, ABC News host Deborah Roberts, was also honored with her own induction into the Hall of Fame but was traveling on assignment, so Al accepted the award for her.
HALL OF FAMERS AL & DEBORAH
Earlier this week, the busy news host dropped in to Live with Kelly and Mark and spoke about her marriage to Al.
The duo have been proclaimed the “cutest couple” by fans, and have been married for almost 28 years.
Deborah, 62, spoke about the beginning of their relationship.
She explained that they met when she started working at NBC, and Al, 68, approached her on her first day.
The pair quickly became friends, and Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos asked how the relationship moved from friendship to romance.
Deborah explained: “What happened was he wore me down with that sweet kindness.”
She added that when she went to cover the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, she asked the Today host to check in on her apartment to water her plants and collect her mail.
Mark piped in: “Very much in the friend zone,” to which Deborah agreed.
However, instead of simply doing the tasks given, Al went above and beyond, stocking her empty refrigerator and leaving flowers for her return.
Deborah admitted: “I went out with him after that.”
Kelly joked: “He took himself right out of the friend zone. He went directly into the husband zone!”
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
The long-term couple has been married since 1995, and share two children – Leila, 24, and Nick, 20.
Al also has a daughter Courtney, 36, from a previous relationship.
The couple has been enjoying spending time together after Al’s health issues last year, during which Deborah worried that he wouldn’t make it to Christmas.
He was hospitalized twice for blood clots in his legs and lungs last year, and was absent from the morning show for nearly two months.
He tried to regain weight and strength after his hospital stays.
When Al finally returned to the morning show at the beginning of January, Deborah went back to work at the ABC newsroom as well.
He confessed: “Look, I had two complicating things. I had blood clots, which they think came up after I had Covid in September.
“And then I had this internal bleeding going on, I lost half my blood. They were trying to figure out where it was.”
Deborah’s husband joked that he “went in for one operation” and “got four for free.”
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Craig said he thought Al was ‘sick’ during his very first day on TodayCredit: Instagram
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Craig said his Today co-hosts’ dressing rooms are within feet of each otherCredit: Getty
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Craig co-hosted the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame event honoring Al